UNDATED (WJON News) -- It was a successful deer harvest last season, thanks in part to a record-warm winter in 2023-2024.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says hunters bagged more than 170,000 deer in 2024, up 7% from the 2023 season. The statewide harvest was 3% lower than the five-year average.

Some regions were more successful than others.

The central, southeast, and northeast regions had a 9% increase year over year.

Northwestern Minnesota had an 8% increase in the harvest while southwestern Minnesota was up 4%.

The DNR says the weather during peak hunting times was optimal and lined up well with deer activity.

Deep snow can have a negative impact on deer numbers so a dry and warm winter season in 2023-2024 helped bolster the deer populations.

 

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